An eye-opening documentary on the small Colombian airlines such as Sadelca operating 1940s/50s Dakotas to remote Amazonian villages - it makes 'no frills' airlines look like Emirates first class!

Highlights include mending engines by the light from a cellphone because the power in the workshop has gone off; pilots not even knowing their destination until enough people turn up who want to go somewhere; and a cargo of hazardous material being well ventilated in the cargo hold by leaving all the doors open! Could have been a comedy, but isn't.

I lived in Colombia from the mid-50's to the early '60's and flew on the DC-3's operated by AVIANCA AIRLINES. Scary ? you better believe it. Flew into Barrancabermeja a number of times - a dirt airstrip - at the end of which was a ravine about 100 meters deep; no terminal, just a tin hut. When you heard a bell ring it meant time to board.Gasoline was put into the wing tanks just as you saw in the video.Flew from Cali to Buenaventura weekly. No heaters in the plane and the mountain pass was at 12,000 feet - a little chilly. A great adventure.